Machine for corking bottles



Jan. 25, 1944. CLARK, JR 2,340,106

MACHINE FOR CORKING BOTTLES Filed Aug. 1'9, 1942 6 sheets-sneak 1 Inventor Jan. 25, 1944.

R. A. CLARK, JR MACHINE FOR CORKING BOTTLES 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 In uerztor Nu M5 Filed Aug. 19, 1942 Jan. 25, 1944. R. A. CLARK, JR

MACHINE FOR CORKING BOTTLES Filed Aug. 19 '1942 6 Sheets-Sheet '3 Inventor arm wave 3m Jan. 25, 1944. Q R L JR 2,340,106

MACHINE FOR CORKING BOTTLES Filed Aug. 19 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet Inventor Jan. 25, 1944. R. A. CLARK, JR 2,340,106

MACHINE FOR CORKING BOTTLES Filed Aug. 19 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 F I I I I I I 7 LI 7 I a I I I 23 9 3 /i Invent or I B)/ I Jan. 25, 1944. R JR 2,340,106

MACHINE FOR CORKING BOTTLES Filed Aug. 19, 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Inventor Patented Jan. 25, 1944 MACHINEIFOR CORKING BOTTLES Robert Arthur Clark, Jr., Owensboro, Ky., as-

signor to Glenmore Distilleries Company, Inc.,

Owensbol'o, Ky.

ApplicationAugust 19, 1942 Serial No.-455 ,37-'l 6 Claims.

wMy invention relates to improvements in hottle corking machines ,for inserting flanged type corks injbeverage bottles.

The invention is designed with the particular objectsin view of providing a practicaLhighspeed machine for inserting such corks automatically inra ,continuouslyjfed stream of bottles and which is adapted for adjustment to compensate in operation for various tolerances occurring in the manufacture of bottles, whereby breakage of the bottles, 'by crushing, is obviated and which is, furthermore, simple in construction, operative from a singlelow-power source, requiresa minimum of servicing, and is comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and install.

Other and subordinat objects are also comprehendedby my invention, all of which, together with the precise natureofmy improvements, will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claims areread with referenceto the drawings accompanying and forming part of thisspecification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 isafragmentar-y view in front elevation illustrating myimproved machine iniitspreferred embodiment,

Figure 2 is a view inhorizontal section taken onthe line 2-2 of Figure 1 and drawn to an enlarged scale,

Figure 3 is a view in verticalsection taken on o the.line.33 of. Figure .1 andalso drawnto an en- .largedscale,

Figure 4 is a view in horizontal section taken .on.the.line44of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is .a view in transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4 and .drawn to an enlarged scale,

Figure 6 gisla view in horizontal section taken on the line -6-'B of Figure 1 .and drawn to .an enlarged scale, I

Figure '7 is a fragmentary view in front elevation of the bottom plate of the cork carrying head, one pair of the cork-gripping fingers, and stops therefor,

Figure 8 -is a view inperspective of one of the cork-gripping fingers,

Figure Qisairagmentary view in vertical 1ongitudinal section of the cork-feeding chute, the cork ejector means,' and the ejector control means Figure '10 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section taken on a line IO-40 of Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a similar view taken on a line IIr-LI of Figure 9, and

Figure 12 is a view in longitudinal section-of the ejector control valve and parts associated therewith.

.Referring'to the drawings by numerals, I designates the base of the'machin having atop bedplate 2, andwhich is of any suitable height and elongated form, the particular construction thereof, with the exception of the parts hereinafter specifically referred to, being immaterial to the invention. Rising from the back of the base I is a suitable pedestal 3 supporting at its upper end a vertically disposed, substantially cylindrical, open bottom housing 4 overhanging-the bed plate 2 and for'a purpose presently seen.

A vertically disposed drive shaftE extends upwardly through the base I and the bedpiate 2 and into'the housing 4. The drive shaft may be journaled in any suitable manner at its lower end in the'base I and extends intermediate its ends through-a bearing collar 6 and a'horizontal partition'plate I provided in the'base I below the bedplate 2. The drive shaft 5 isdesigned to be driven, clockwise as seen in Figure 2, by a suitable motor drive housed in the base I below the plate 7, but, suchdrives being well'known, it has not been deemed necessary to illustrate the same.

At the top of the drive shaft '5 andprojecting slightly out of the bottom of the housing for apurpose presently seen, is a cork carrying head 8 of cylindrical drum-like form having top and bottom plates 9, ID, fixed therein, and an axial sleeve II extending therethrough and below the same-overthe drive shaft 5"to which it is suitably fixed for rotation of said head by said shaft. "A circular'series of vertically disposed cylinders I2 are fixed at their ends in the plates 9, Iii of the head 8 in angular relation, with screw plugs I3 in the upper ends thereof. Each cylinder I2 contains in its lower 'end a piston I4 having a stem I5 vertically slidable in the plug E3, the piston being urged downwardly by a coil spring H5 surrounding the stern I5 between the plug and the piston. The plugs I3, as will be clear, provide for variably tensioning the springs It to correspondingly tension the pistons I against vertical movement. Pairs of cork-gripping fingers H are provided on the bottom plate Iii of said head 8 to underlie the pistons I4 flat against the same, eachpair of fingers being pivoted at inner ends "thereof, as at I8, to the plate In to extend in laterally spaced relation across the pistons I upon diametrically opposite sides thereof and toward the periphery of the head 8. Studs I9 depends from'the pistons I4 in between the axis of saidpistons and the pivots I8 maintain the fingers ll of said -pairssubstantially parallel in each pair and in opposition" to coil springs 2i! suitably connected to said fingers H as best shown in Figure 6. V

' At this point, it may be explained, that the pairs of cork-gripping fingers H are designed to .frictionally grip between the opposed sides there- 'of corks 21 and .by means of the'fianges22 thereof, with said flanges imposed fiat against the bottoms of the pistons M and centered relative to said ,pistons by the studs 19 as shown, for instance, in Figure 3, and further that said fingers in the pairs are designed to be separated in opposition to the springs 20 to release the corks 2| and by upward thrusts of the mouths of bottles, not shown, between the fingers of the pairs. To facilitate such separation of th pairs of fingers H, the inner sides thereof are beveled, as at 23, along the lower corners thereof. To facilitate entering corks 2| between the pairs of fingers l1 their outer ends are rounded as at 24. As will,

of course, be understood, the fingers IT are appropriately spaced apart in each pair normally to being such that the pairs of fingers l1 align with the lower discharge end of said chute 25 as said fingers are revolved past said chute. The chute 25 is designed to be supplied at its upper end with corks 2| from a suitable hopper, as at 25', and so that said chute is always full of corks 2| depend ing from the chute and for gravity feed thereof toward the discharge end of the chute.

Pneumatic means are provided for ejecting the corks 2| from the chute 25 successively by blowing the same in between the pairs of fingers 11 as the latter are revolved past the discharge end of said chute 25. Such means comprises a pneumatic valve cylinder 21 surmountingthehchute 25 with an open end opposed to the housing 4, said cylinder being mounted on said chuteby means of a bracket 28. A compressed air line 29 leading from a suitable source of air under pressure, not shown, extends into the=top of the cylinder 21 centrally thereof, and a pair of air feed lines 38 extend .from opposite sides of the cylinder 21 in its transverse center to a pair of air ejecting jets 3| suitably extended through opposite sides of the chute 25 adjacent to the discharge end of said chute. -A valve unit is slidably mounted in the'cylinder 21 comprising a plunger 32 extending out of the open end of the cylinder, an axial piston rod 33 extending from one end of the plunger and endwise slidable in the other end of said cylinder, a piston-type valve 34 fixed on said rod for opening and closing the lines 29, 35, a coil spring 35 on said rod interposed between the valve 34 and said other end of the cylinder 34, and a button'36 extending from the plunger 32 toward said housing 4 and close thereto. The spring 35 urges the valve 34 and plunger outwardly of the cylinder 21 toward the housing 4. A stop collar 31 on the rod 33 abutting the adjacent cylinder end establishes the normal position of the unit in which the valve 34 closes said lines 29, 39. Suitable tappets 28 on the periphery of the head 8 vertically aligned with the pairs of fingers H are provided towipe against the button 36 under revolution of the head 8 and to thereby move the described valve unit inwardly of the cylinder 21 in opposition to the spring 33 so as to uncover or open the lines 29, 30 momentarily.

A cork ejector control means is provided and which will now be described. Extending laterally from one side of the chute 25 closelyadj cent to the discharge end thereof is a'pneumatic cylinder 39 clamped to said side by clamping nuts 40, see Fig. 11, and having a threaded bushing 4| in its inner end. Slidably extended out of said cylinder 39 is an ejector control rod 42 having an angular inner stop end 43 adapted to project in front of the leading cork 2| in the chute 25 and thereby prevent the corks from being ejected out of said chute. A coil spring 44 surrounding the rod between the bushing 4| and a piston 45 on said rod normally retracts said rod inwardly of said cylinder 39 to retract the stop ends 43 out of the path of feed of the corks 2|. The stop ends 43 engaging. the bushing 4| limit retraction of the ejector rod 42. A compressed air line 45 coupled to the outer end of the cylinder 39, as at 41, extends to a port 48 in one side of a pneumatic ejector control cylinder 49 suitably mounted in horizontally extending position on a fixed part 50. on the bed plate 2 adjacent the front edge thereof and directly in front of the drive shaft 5.

A compressed air supply line 5| extends from the before-mentioned source (not shown) into one end of said cylinder 49. Slidably extended outwardly of the other end of said cylinder 49 is a valve operating piston rod 5| having fast on its inner end a piston-like valve 52 normally uncovering the port 48 and adapted for advance through the medium of the rod 5| to cover said port. Longitudinal grooves 52' in the cylinder 49 provide for air from the supply line 5| passing from one side of the piston to the other and to the port 48. For advancing the piston 52, an ejector control lever 43 extends horizontally rearwardly over the bedplate 2 in front of the drive shaft 5 fo rocking movement about an upstanding post 54 on said plate 2, said lever being elevated above the bedplate 2 and having an oppositely extending, bifurcated, tail piece 55 on the opposite side of the pivot straddling the rod 5| between a pair of collars 58 on said rod, the arrangementbeing such that movement of said lever 53 from a normal position will advance the valve'52 to close the port 48. A coil spring 51,

suitably connected to a stud 58 on said rod 5| and to the fixed part yieldingly holds the valve 52 in normal uncovering position, and the lever 53 in normal position established by engagement of its tail piece with a fixed stop 59 rising from the bedplate 2.

As will now be seen, the air from the source is normally admitted to the cylinder 49 and to the cylinder 39 so that the ejector rod 42 is normally projected in opposition to the spring 44 and the stop end 43 Of said rod is interposed in front of the foremost cork 2| to prevent corks from being ejected out of the chute 26.

For thrusting bottles upwardl against the corks 2|, an annular turntable 60 is suitable, fixed to the drive shaft 5 and set into the bedplate 2 flush therewith. The turntable 60 rests on a set collar 6| fastened on said drive shaft 5. A cir cular series of cylindrical, bottle supporting and elevating plungers 62 are provided in the turntable 68m 90 degree angular relation and in vertical'alignment with the pistons 4, which-is to say also with the pairs of fingers H. The plungers '62 are vertically slidable axially in bushings 63,

I6 and depending from the turntable 60. Set screws 84 in the bushings 63 and extending into th keyways 65 in the plungers 62 hold the latter against rotation in the bushings. The plungers 62 are hollow for lightness and have bottom cap plates 66 bolted thereto as at 61. The bottle elevating and supporting plungers 52 are moved from a normal position in which their upper ends are flush with the turntable 60, first upwardly from and then downwardly to normal position under revolution of the turntable .60 and throu h} .substantially 180 degrees of movement clockwise spaced, links 69 having a pair of upper and lower rollers 10, H rotatably mounted between the upper and lower ends thereof, the upper roller supporting the plungers 62 and the lower :adapted to ride up and down the cam 68 and on the plate 1. Each pair of links 60 is suitably fixed to one end of an arm 12 pivoted at its other end, as at 13, to the bottom of the turntable .60 for vertical swinging movement.

Vertically movable with each plunger 62 is a bottle aligning yoke l4 horizontally disposed to straddle the neck of a bottle located on the plunger and fixed by a collar '15 on a vertical rod 16 vertically s'lidable through the turntable 6D alongside the bushing63 and mounted on the bottom of the cap plate 66 by a spider Tl bolted, as at 18, to said cap plate and to which the rod '16 is fixed by nuts 19. Collars 15 slide in vertical grooves 8|! provided in the before-mentioned sleeve II to steady the yokes M.

Mechanism for feeding bottles into the machine in a stream is provided as follows:

A slat type, traveling conveyor 8| is set into the bed plate 2 in front of the turntable B to extend lengthwise longitudinally of the base I and to be driven from left to right as viewed in Figures 1 and 2. l

A pair of feeding units 82, 83 are provided at opposite sides of the turntable 6U forfeeding bottles laterally from the conveyor 8! onto the turntable 68 and similarly feeding the bottles off said turntable back onto said conveyor Bl, the unit 82 being arranged forwardly of said turntable and the unit 83 rearwardly thereof .as regards the direction of travel of the conveyor SI. 82, 83 comprises apair of upper and lower spaced Each unit apart disks 84, 85 fixed on a central hub 85 fast on the upper end of a vertical shaft 8! above the bed plate 2, said disks overlying the conveyor 8! at their front edges and also overlying the turntable 68. The disks '84, 85 are provided with vertically aligned pairs of edge notches 88 arranged in 90 degree angular relation and which are adapted, in the case of the unit 82 to'move bottle laterally and rearwardly off the conveyor 81 over the turntable 6!! onto the plungers v(i2 just before the latter begin to ride, and in the case of the unit 83 to similarly move bottles off the plungers 62 back onto the conveyor 8! as soon as said plungers descend level with the turntable S0,.

Shafts 8.7 of the units 82, B3 are operated to the unit 82 for operation by each bottle as it is moved Off the conveyor 3? onto the turntable '60 and plungers B2.

The before described head 8 may be provided on the plate ill thereof with a circular series of stops ill for limiting separated movement of the pairs of .cork gripping fingers H.

A suitable slot 92 is provided in the front of the housing 4 to provide for engagement of the tappets 38 with the buttons 36.

Referring now briefly to the operation, bottles are moved in succession from the conveyor 8|, in the manner already described, on to the turntable 66 and plungers 62. As .each bottle is so moved it wipes against the ejector control lever 53. The lever 53 retracts valve 52 to cover and close the port 48, thereby shutting ofi compression in the air line 436 and pneumatic cylinder .39 with the result that the spring 44 momentarily retracts the stop end d3 of the ejector control rod 42, from in front of the leading cork ,Z'! in the chute 25. The first tappet 38 to engage the button 36 of the valve unit of thepneumatic valve, under rotation of the head 8, operates said unit in opposition to the spring .35 to momentarily open the lines 129, 38 with the result that air under pressure is discharged through the 'jets .3! to blow the leading cork .out of the chute 25 in between the appropriate pair of cork gripping fingers H for corking the bottle being moved from the conveyor 82 on to the plunger .52 vertically aligned with the pair of cork gripping fingers l1 The plunger 62 is next raised by the cam 6.8 and described roller jacking unit, thereby elevating the neck of a bottle to insert the cork therein, while, at the same time, as the cork is forced home, the mouth of the bottle extends between the pair of fingers l1 and by 'coaction with the bevel edges 23 thereof cams the same apart thus releasing the cork. As will be seen, the cork is forced home in the mouth of the bottle against the appropriate piston Id which yiel-dingly opposes the cork. The plunger 62 now descends with the corked bottle and the latter is removed from the supporting plunger 62 and the turntable 60 back onto the conveyor 8! for passage out of thermachine. The described operations are repeated with each bottle. As will be seen, by varying the tension on the piston [4 in the manner already described, the corks may be forced home without splitting the mouth of the bottle, the pistons yielding to compensate for variations in sizes of the mouths of the bottles as will'be clear. Guard rails 93 fixed to the bed plate 2 byuprights 84 and over the conveyor 8| curve from said conveyor over the turntable 6!! to guide the bottles off of and onto said conveyor.

' The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right isherein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope ,of the subjoined claims.

,I claim:

1. In a machine for inserting flanged top corks in bottles, a base, a cork carrying head above said base rotating about a vertical axis, a -gravity .feed' chute for holding a line .of corks heads uppermost and having a discharge end underlying the bottom of said head, a plurality of pairs of cork holding fingers arranged in a circular series on the bottom of said head for rotation past said end of the chute by said head to re leasably grip corks discharged from said end therebetween, rotary means for supporting bot tles upright and vertically aligned with said pairs of fingers and operative under rotation thereof to elevate said bottles for inserting the finger held corks in the mouths thereof, said means subsequently lowering said bottles, means to feed bottles in succession onto said rotary means in upright position, and pneumatic means for ejecting the corks in said line successively out of the discharge end of the chute in between said pairs of fingers and including an air jet operative intennittently under control of said head in timed relation to rotation of said pairs past said end of the chute.

2. In a machine for inserting flanged top corks in bottles, a base, a cork carrying head above said base rotating about a vertical axis, a gravity feed chute for holding a line of corks heads uppermost and having a discharge end underlying the bottom of said head, a plurality of pairs of cork holding fingers arranged in a circular series on the bottom of said head for rotating past said end of the chute by said head to releasably grip corks discharged from said end therebetween, rotary means for supporting bottles upright and vertically aligned with said pairs of fingers and operative under rotation thereof to elevate said bottles for inserting the finger held corks in the mouths'thereof, said means subsequently lowering said bottles, means to feed bottles in succession onto said rotary means in upright position, and pneumatic means for ejecting the corks in said line successively out of the discharge end of the chute in between said pairs of fingers in timed relation to rotation of said pairs past said end oi'the chute, said'feeding means comprising a conveyor on said basetraveling past said rotary means atone side thereof,

and for supporting a line of bottles, and rotary devices for moving successive bottles in said line laterally oif said conveyor onto said rotary means, and pneumatic means to control ejection of the corks out of said chute operative by movement of the bottles off said conveyor.

3. In a machine for inserting flanged top corks in bottles, a base, a cork carrying head above said base rotating about a vertical axis, a gravity feed chute for holding a line of corks heads uppermost and having a discharge end underlying the bottom of said head, a plurality of pairs of cork holding fingers arranged in a circular series on the bottom of said head for rotation past said end of the chute by said head to releasa'bly grip corks discharged from said end therebetween, rotary means for supporting bottles upright and vertically aligned with saidpairs of'fingers and operative under rotation thereof to elevate said bottles for inserting the finger held corks in the mouths thereof, said means subsequently lowering said bottles, means to feed bottles in succession onto said rotary means in upright position, and pneumatic means for ejecting the corks in said line successively out of the discharge end of the chute in between said pairs of fingers in timed relation to rotation of said pairs past said end of the chute, and controlled conjointly by rotation of said head and movement of bottles onto the rotary means.

4. In a machine for inserting flanged top corks in bottles, a base, a cork carrying head above said base rotating about a vertical axis, a gravity feed chute for holding a line of corks heads up- .permost and" having. a discharge enduunderlyingthe bottom'of said head,'-a plurality of pairs of. cork? holding fingers'arranged in a circular series on the bottom of said head for rotation past. said end of the chute by said head to releasably grip corks discharged from said end therebetween,jrotary'means for supporting bottles upright andvertically aligned with said pairs of fingers and operative under rotation thereof to elevate said bottles for inserting the finger held corks in the mouths thereof, said means subsequently lowering said bottles, means to feed bottles .in succession onto" said rotary means in upright position,'and pneumatic means for ejecting the corks-in saidline successively out of the discharge end of the chute in between said pairs of fingersin timed relation to rotationof said pairs past said end of the chute, said pneumatic means including air blast devices in said chute, and means'to introduce air under pressure to said devices controlled by rotation of said head.

5. In a machine for inserting flanged top corks in bottles, a base, a cork carrying head above said base rotating about a vertical axis, a gravity feed chute for holding a line of corks heads up permost and having a discharge end underlying the bottom of said head, a plurality of pairs of cork holding fingers arranged in a circular series on the bottom of said head for rotation past said end of the chute by said head to releasably grip corks discharged from said end therebetween, rotary means for supporting bottles upright and vertically aligned with said pairs of fingers and operative under rotation thereof to elevate said bottles for inserting the finger held oorksin the mouths thereof, said means subsequently lowering said bottles, means to feed bottles in succession'onto said rotary means in upright position, and pneumatic means for ejecting the corks in said line successively out of the discharge end of the chute in between said pairs of fingers in timed relation to rotation of said pairs past said end of the chute, said pneumatic means comprising cork releasing means on said chute normally blocking ejection of the corks from the chute.

6. In a machine for inserting flanged top corks in bottles, a base, a cork carrying head above said base rotating about a vertical axis, a gravity feed chute for holding a line of corks heads uppermost and having a discharge end underlying the bottom of said head, a plurality of pairs of cork holding fingers arranged in a circular series on the bottom of said head for rotation past said end of the chute by said head to releasably grip corks discharged from said end therebetween, rotary means for supporting bottles upright and vertically aligned with said-pairs of fingers and operative under rotation thereof, to elevate said bottles for inserting the finger held corks in the mouths thereof, said means subsequently lowering said bottles, means to feed bottles in succession onto said. rotary means in upright position, and pneumatic means for effecting the corks in said line successively out of the discharge end of the chute in between said pairs of fingers in timed relation to rotation of said pairs past said end of the chute, said pneumatic means comprising cork releasing means on said chute normally blocking ejection of the corks from the chute, and operative to ineffective position as an incident to feed of each bottle onto said rotary means.

. ROBERT ARTHUR CLARK, JR. 

